The Golden Ball in South Oxfordshire

Excellent cookery in a lovely cozy environment. I always feel well looked after with their friendly atmosphere and the food speaks for itself.

A super birthday meal for my Mum and myself. Great food, super service, good wine what more could you want!

Wow! What an exceptional find! Just on the Oxford side of Henley, and well worth a visit. Their a la carte menu's great , but the set lunch menu is exemplary - balanced, seasonal fare sculpted into a creative menu, and expertly produced. And tremendous value for money. Don't tell anyone! Keep it to yourself!

Having had an exceptional lunch a few weeks ago we went back with friends for dinner. Everyone agreed the food was second to none, service faultless and ambiance perfect. Would recommend without hesitation.

Excellent hosts, excellent atmosphere, delicious food. I'll be back next time I'm in the country.

Pub Sunday lunch is often so disappointing. This was the opposite. Very accommodating around my food intolerance. Excellent starters. Thick cut rare roast beef full of flavour. Beautifully cooked pork belly. Portions sizes that demanded an extra long walk in the afternoon .

This restaurant is a gem! Beautiful food, great service, lovely atmosphere. Perfect place for a date, couldn’t fault it.

Food is delicious and the set menu good value for the care and attention to presentation and ingredients. We ate from the a la carte menu and portions were not small and it all felt like a real treat for my taste buds! Wine menu good and Brakespear beer. AF beer choices too. Owners and staff are lovely. Will definitely be back 😋

We had a lunch set menu. Excellent food and great value for money. Would definitely come back when I’m the area.

Fantastic. Highly recommend the Golden Ball, the food was not only great but good portion sizes. We struggled to pick what to have because all sounded yummy. The service was just what we like, super attentive, welcoming and friendly.

Exceptional lunch for very reasonable price. Handful of vegetarian options for us but each one was delicious.

This was my first visit since Ben & Priya arrived at the Golden Ball & what a treat it was! The A La Carte menu was perfect & the presentation & quality of the food fantastic. Priya & staff service was excellent. Go there, you will not be disappointed! I will definitely be recommending The Golden Ball to friends & family.

As a result of the landlord at The Rainbow Inn being so rude, we unexpectedly ended up here, hotly followed by a family who were entering the Rainbow as we left. So thanks to that rude landlord we ended up having a wonderful meal here. We both had cod which was delicious and the little extras such as the warm bread with garden herb butter and the madeleines to finish made it extra special. Lovely staff too. We were in a hurry as we were off to see a band but we will return.

We had lunch on Friday having been to greys court. We had a very warm welcome and the food was excellent. It’s a husband and wife team and the food we had was really good. I had tempura goats cheese and the monkfish. Had to the mango dessert even though I didn’t have room. Lots of nice little touches. Would highly recommend. They do a set lunch as well which was really good value but we opted for the a’lacarte.

Another superb lunch here in the lovely garden. Charming staff and top notch food from the set lunch menu which is extremely good value. Slightly delayed service from the kitchen mean we had no time to try the dessert. A place that really deserves the compliments it gets.

The Golden Ball is an absolute gem. The food is phenomenal. The service is warm friendly and attentive.

Amazing food, setting and service. Would highly recommend.

I can't believe that this place is not fully booked all the time! I have now eaten here four or five times and I can honestly say that it serves the best food around. Considering we live in the gastro-town of Marlow - this is not said lightly! As well as the food that is of Michelin star standard, the fact that it is family run, has the most picturesque setting alongside a beautiful garden makes this my all time favourite restaurant. Plus - not the silly prices of Marlow or Henley!

I can't believe that this place is not fully booked all the time! I have now eaten here four or five times and I can honestly say that it serves the best food around. Considering we live in the gastro-town of Marlow - this is not said lightly! As well as the food that is of Michelin star standard, the fact that it is family run, has the most picturesque setting alongside a beautiful garden makes this my all time favourite restaurant. Plus - not the silly prices of Marlow or Henley!

Lovely set lunch today and great value for money. Our waitress and the manager were very attentive too.

Perfect summer Sunday lunch. Been a few times now and am still amazed at the quality of the food. Service is very good. Relaxed but attentive. Good wine list. An absolute hidden gem that deserves much more attention!

Ben’s cooking is a class act, such great touch, perfect pitch, interesting combinations that work seamlessly together w such confidence. Happily go for the homemade bread & seasonally changing butter alone. Menu always reads so well, menu writing is so often an after thought. Not here, The warmest of hospitality from Priya & her team, it’s such a combination of them both. Just epic. 🔥

i have eaten at the golden ball twice since ben&priya reopened. i am vegetarian and tend to find that locally the veggie/vegan options are lacking. both times i have eaten at the golden ball, i have found that not to be the case! the food has always been fantastic, and the service truly excellent excellent. i would suggest ignoring negative reviews from people who frequently leave negative reviews as a way to pass time, because their views do not in any way represent the widespread consensus on the menu, service, and atmosphere offered at the golden ball.

I seldom write reviews, but having read the one from Stephanie Hall, i felt compelled to do so. I have eaten at The Golden Ball on numerous occasions ( weekdays, evenings, Sunday lunch, off their set menu & also from their a la carte menu), & have never had a bad morsel of food; it has always been a very pleasurable & satisfying dining experience. Ben & Priya have worked so hard to build up their business, & after another delicious meal today, which was beautifully presented & an explosion of agreeable flavours, i am pleased to see how well their business is thriving.

Enjoyed Sunday lunch on the bank holiday weekend. Gorgeous old characterful building, delicious food and welcoming service. The warm, freshly baked bread rolls with salted butter to start were very nice! I had a paneer starter that was super tasty. Both the roast belly pork and beef were very good, generous servings and plenty of lovely vegetables to share (the cheesy leeks were divine!) For pudding we shared the Indian mango - sooo good together with the sweet, Chilean Sauvignon blanc pairing - perfection! Then gorgeous little rhubarb petit fours that melt in the mouth to finish. Such a lovely dining experience, highly recommend!

Pretentious and low quality. Avoid. Better food earning its stars elsewhere. Frankly boring if you know anything about food.

We recently moved nearby and enjoyed a stroll to our new local pub. Wow what a total surprise! We had the best meal we have had in a long time and best in Henley so far. A gorgeous fusion of Indian and European, everting such fresh quality, down to the home made bread and elderflower butter. So yummy. The owner served us and was so lovely, how lucky we are to have such a great pub nearby. Highly recommend a visit you won't be disappointed. 5 stars!

Hands down the best restaurant in and around Henley. Beautifully looking food that tastes even better than it looks. Portion sizes are decent and quality and provenance of produce is second to none. A wonderful experience!

We were late for dinner at Golden Ball & had appetizers and desserts. The food is fresh and imaginatively prepared and tastes excellent. The price-performance ratio is fair considering the quality. The service is friendly, fast & attentive. A clear recommendation. 🌼 🌼

5* dining in relaxed atmosphere. The food was incredible - 3 course set menu was absolutely delicious and felt very special. We sat in the garden on a sunny day, and front of house made us feel welcome with wonderful service. Thanks so much- highly recommend! (And to add very good value for money with the set menu...£28 for 3 courses)

The restaurant was magnificent. A very nice place, amazing food and very friendly staff. We recommend highly this place.

Third meal at The Golden Ball today and have to say it’s the best food in the area by a country mile. It never disappoints, could not fault a single thing, sensational !

A super country pub. Not an extensive menu for Sunday lunch, but everything we had was excellent!!

My husband and I had heard from a friend that they food at The Golden Ball was exceptional, so we booked a Saturday lunch to try it for ourselves. We opted for the set 3 course lunch menu. This started with warm, freshly baked bread rolls, accompanied by homemade butter and wild garlic butter - all of which was delicious. For our starter we both had mackrel, followed by pork chop for hubby and I had fish. It was incredible. Great flavours and generous portions. Dessert was equally delicious. Attentive, friendly staff. Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very warm welcome including 2 dogs. Amazing food, and excellent value set lunch menu. A very good pint of draft bitter as well. Highly recommend.

Superb food and excellent value with the set lunch menu. Fantastic sardine starter and pork main followed by excellent sticky toffee pudding. The team were excellent with our daughter and dog.

Excellent value lunch menu, expertly cooked with local ingredients where possible. And made perfect by attentive and friendly service.

The food is excellent. Decor could do with a bit of something as it’s basic and the food is so much better than its surroundings.

Absolute gem of a restaurant..this quaint gastro pub has a warming and cozy atmosphere and service with a smile. The menu is adventurous and well executed.The food was delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed every mouthful! Hope to see you again.

Went for Sunday lunch, the starters came promptly and we're very nice. However, we then waited an hour for our main courses. When they came we had no cutlery to eat them with and had to ask for some. Two of us had selected pork which was very dry, and for 5 of us there were very few vegetables. Three of the party had a ginger based dessert and the biscuits were so hard you could not eat them with a spoon and had to pick them up with your fingers if you wanted to eat them, messy as they were covered in a mousse. I doubt we will return, very disappointing experience as it was supposed to be a celebration for 2 birthdays. Previous visits had been excellent, but not this one. Is it under new management?

We were a group of 6 celebrating a friend's birthday. We were the only covers in on an icey Thursday in the middle of January. We had wonderful evening, made very welcome, the food was excellent and we felt very special. Thank you.

Lovely place for a fine dining experience

An old favourite in new hands. Delightful food and service. Will return

Visited the pub on a Sunday, thankfully had booked as they were full! Exceptional food. Really quite something. It’s a 45 min drive for me and I’m planning to go back soon!!! The paneer starter was out of this world; the peach tarte tatin was fabulous, and everything else in between was outstanding. Book it immediately.

I visited The Golden Ball with my friends on a sunny Saturday for lunch and we had a marvelous time. We sat outside in one of the tables in the garden. The service was friendly and attentive. Now the indisputable standout was the food, truly superb and way above the standards of a pub. You will feel like eating in a fine restaurant while enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the countryside. Each dish was exquisitely presented and full of flavour. Even the bread and butter were homemade by the chef. I can't recommend the experience enough ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Outstanding in every respect, you pay a little more but you get a whole lot more, and IMO it was worth every penny. Lovely atmosphere, great service and delicious food. If you're looking for somewhere to dine out in the Henley area that stands out from the crowd, I highly recommend a visit to The Golden Ball. It will be a treasured memory of a wonderful night out with a few good friends.

A good lunch shared with friends. A little on the expensive side, but nice.

A truly excellent meal, with great wine (you can bring your own for corkage). We sat outside and enjoyed a really good meal with leisurely service on a busy Sunday. Will definitely be back

Really lovely people and so friendly

The menu and food is as good as the previous owners and we will certainly be back. Loved it. Very friendly service too.

Nice pub but really disappointed that they could not do any food. All pre booked tables so not a good pit stop for hikers.

We enjoyed a superb dinner at The Golden Ball. Their menu has the perfect number of delicious dishes and the little things they add in make it utterly perfect (try their freshly made bread rolls… just wonderful). Thank you for a brilliant evening and keep up the amazing work!

We had booked the B&B next door. We were referred to the neighbouring pub/Resto for dinner which turned out to be an amazing experience!

Great meal reasonably priced (set lunch) a la carte is dearer. Great service too.Point to note, you're not still hungry when you leave. Well done.

Haven’t have such a great meal for a long time. Set lunch menu is really good. Staffs are very nice plus food is amazing. Worth to visit and I will definitely come back!

Great food, nice indoors or out and VERY friendly service. Highly recommend this place - hadn’t been for a couple of years and was really pleasantly surprised how good it was I won’t be leaving it another couple before being back. Great space outdoors for kids too.

An excellent lunch spot with the set menu. The staff were friendly, welcoming & had a personal touch. The food really was superb with great attention to detail & flavours. Highly recommended

This is a proper foodie destination. Unpretentious but precise, interesting and expertly prepared dishes using local, seasonal ingredients in beautiful setting with a delightfully friendly reception. For the quality of the food, it must be one of the best value restaurants in the country.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon, pub wasn't that busy and had plenty of tables free. Walked up to the bar to order two drinks but was immediately told to go away because there was an influx of tickets. Waited at my table for 5 minutes and then ordered two drinks. 15 minutes later my drinks turned up, it was only a pint and a half pint of beer, the waitress apologised for keg issues. Asked for a bag of crisps but we were told they didn't sell crisps. Went to pay and they charged us £10 for 1 pint and a half pint of beer. Won't be returning.

Decent pub garden with Aspall cider by the bottle. Didn't eat on this occasion.

What a gem. Came across this pub by chance whilst out cycling. Atmosphere, service and food was amazing.

The food is superb, the garden area fabulous on a sunny Summer day, and the staff friendly and helpful. Great for a quiet lunch or relaxed dinner for sure.

Inventive menu and expertly cooked dishes - you can tell the care and love that goes into the meal. We loved the attention to detail and the use of local produce and slightly unusual ingredients. Walkable from Henley too. Best of luck to the new owners, you’re doing a fab job!

The new team have improved the quality of food and service. Just hope it lasts.... The interior lacks something - it is neither old nor modern.

What a delightful discovery. We were there on a Thursday evening and it was quiet but cosy. Service was attentive. And the food was extraordinary - from the bread rolls with whipped garlic butter through the starter, main course and omg I'm still dreaming about my rhubarb custard lemon balm tart dessert. Highly recommend!

Great Sunday lunch. Obviously a LOT of attention to detail.

Pretentious, but quality food, and over priced. Two main course and a bottle of wine £103. 00. Which includes a 12.5% service charge.

Food quality out of this world, cannot recommend this place enough. Friendly family outstanding. Blown away

This was my third visit to The Golden Ball. From the beautiful location to the polite, unobtrusive service from the wait staff to the fantastic food. Will definitely be back!

We went for a tasting at 100 Hills and they recommended us to come to the Golden Ball for lunch. So glad we did! We had starters and mains and they were faultless. Delicious food, beautifully presented and great value for money. Outdoors area looked very appealing too, shame it was too cold to sit outside. Super cute place and friendly service. Thank you Priya!

Incredible food and amazing service. The attention to detail with every meal is next level. We will be back for sure

Amazing top quality food. Best restaurant in the area. Every time we dine here we get blown away with the flavours, presentation, decent portion sizes! Ben the head chef knows what he is doing, and you can tell the care and quality he has in his work! Priya is a delightful charming host. We are guilty of coming twice a week, but it’s worth it. A cosy homely feel makes you feel so relaxed.

My wife and I enjoyed a superb three course lunch yesterday, our first visit to the Golden Ball. There’s an excellent value 2 and 3 course set menu option (£20/25 respectively) as well as a-la-carte (starters c£10, mains c£25-30, desserts c£9) and a well balanced, fair value wine menu. They’re a small team at the moment so cover numbers are limited, but service is friendly, welcoming and not compromised. The food is delicious, clearly prepared with care and a joy in using excellent produce in creative ways. My wife enjoyed the aubergine, venison and rhubarb (all of which looked tantalising and she said were delicious), whilst I chose Tandoori Quail, Duck with blood orange and Baked Alaska with figs. Every dish was superb, full of flavour and textures, clearly created by a skilled hand. Very reasonably priced for the quality, we’ll definitely be back.

Amazing land lady. Helped to get a cab from the pub when I lost my hiking group. She gave a free coffee and made me feel very welcomed. Amazing hospitality

Fabulous food! So much better now that it’s under new ownership. The venison that I had for my main was so succulent. Not something that I would normally order, but I wasn’t disappointed. Excellent waiting staff, very attentive.

Absolutely outstanding food. My first visit with the new owners and the food is really superb. Brilliant service too.

Everything was delightful: the couple who own and run the place, the venue itself and the food & drinks. Many circular walks start/end here so you can exercise then reward yourself. Lovely outdoor space for spring/summer and cosy indoor space the rest of the time.

Epic from start to finish. Masterclass in local seasonal ingredients cooked w skill care & execution. Super warm and friendly out front too.

Lovely setting quintessential England. Service and front of house exceptionally good. Food on par with Michelin star rating. Prices reasonable.a must visit.

I was interested to see what the Golden Ball would be like after it was taken over at the end of 2022 by Chef Ben Watson. It had been a firm favourite of ours under the stewardship of Steve Luscombe. I'm happy to say it doesn't disappoint. The food and service are first class, and having had a fresh lick of paint, it now looks restored back to its former glory. Great for Sunday lunch or a special occasion. If you're on a budget, there is even a lower price set menu during the week, which is very reasonable. Highly recommended.

Went for Sunday Roast. Fantastic meal and service. Can't wait to go back to try the rest of the menu. So good to have this near Henley

DON'T GO HERE .. because I want it all to myself .. absolutely fabulous warm welcome .. excellent cocktails .. wine delicious .. and the food out of this world .. Michelin standard in my humble opinion but not London prices. So local boy .. Ben made good .. this young team need all the plaudits for their efforts .. they are just starting out and I believe have ideas on improving the ambience but you simply can't take away the excellence of what really matters. My table will have a reservation on it from now on so go get your own .. you won't be disappointed.

Very good Sunday lunch, although the food was a little cold.

First time eating here since it had been taken over and it was fabulous. Really friendly and professional team and the food was incredible. Absolutely delicious and really well thought out. Highly recommended.

Extremely good service and friendly helpful staff.

Incredible food and amazing service. The new owners are so friendly and welcoming, this pub is a gem 💎- 30 minute walk from Henley too! Will definitely be returning!

Excellent Sunday lunch in this recently taken over pub/restaurant. It’s not cheap, but the service and quality of food more than justify the price. Delicious roast pork belly and plenty of vegetables all very fresh and cooked beautifully. Really worth a visit if you live in / are visiting the area.

Amazing place! Food very tasty, friendly atmosphere!! Pork belly was so tasty!!

Staff were very kind when I’d broken down recently

The new owners have made an excellent start. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming and relaxing. The food and wine that we have sampled so far are of the highest quality. Really impressed!!

Very friendly and welcoming staff. Excellent menu - a good few choices for pescatarians and meat eaters alike. Particularly enjoyed the cod with curried cauliflower, shallot bhaji, and tamarind for main, the sardines from the specials and squid for starters. My wife enjoyed the sea bream too. We look forward to returning in the New Year.

Very enjoyable meal - the new owners and staff were very friendly and helpful, but it was the food that really stood out. The squid starter was superb and a cut above the usual “salt&pepper” one you often get. Sea bream was perfectly cooked and the accompanying artichoke, potato and mussels were just the thing on a cold evening. Looking forward to return visits especially when we can enjoy the garden!

Had a great time visiting for Sunday lunch. The new owners with very friendly and the food was amazing.

Only had a drink but was very friendly. Looking forward to returning for dinner.

Totally authentic and enormous Sunday roast and Yorkshire pud. Such a shame Steve is giving up the kitchen.

Great Sunday roast and reasonable. The trimmings on the roast are incredible

Really disappointing. Good 4 star soufflé but everything else we had felt like really bad value. Well executed but very average quality gristly steak. Piece of monkfish with a bit of lentil and spinach but nothing else for £27. Small piece of cheese with biscuits £9.50. I appreciate hospitality has had a hard time but the cost is ridiculous (and more expensive than the sample menu). Decent cooking but very very overpriced given the quality and quantity.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to give 1 star. My phone is playing up. We came across it, when we were looking for Turville. We stopped to ask directions and maybe have a drink. We didn't see anyone around and it looked closed.

Marvellous Sunday lunch! Friendly and efficient staff.

OMG! This place is excellent! Sunday roast was unique and you can’t say that often about a Sunday roast! Book ahead to avoid disappointment, which fortunately didn’t happen for us as management made it happen!